Ghost

This is a George Saunders exercise: write a story with exactly 200 words in 45 minutes but only use a total of 50 words.

Wanker ghosts her. For the boxes she packs.

Win a week on an island. She never enters competitions. They want your data. Troll you for years. She ticks the boxes. Wanker.

Dodges through the traffic. Fingers up to the blasting horn. Wanker.

They call months later. Automated message. You’ve won. Pack your bags. We’ll send a cab. The cab is automated, dodges traffic. They ghost her bags. She wins a week on a traffic island. Traffic blasting horns.

She ticks her fingers through the week. She never packs boxes. Traffic blasting horns. Wanker.

She ticks her fingers through the month. She never packs boxes. Wanker. Trolls on cabs dodge blasting horns.

She ticks her fingers through the years. She will never pack boxes. Wanker. Ghosts tick fingers up to blasting horns. Trolls send a competition. Win a week on a box. The wanker never won.

She wins a week on a box. We’ll send a cab. The cab is automated, dodges traffic. The box ghosts her. Trolls send a competition. Win a week on a troll. A ghost trolls her. Win a week on a horn. We’ll send a wanker. The wanker is automated, dodges her boxes.

She never calls.